The Ripest Peach Under the New Mexico Sun
by knick-knack-15
Summary: [It was their summer. The summer where they would discover love, their true selves, and their unusual love for New Mexico peaches.] Troypay! My first Ryella! OCandOC! R and R!
1. Chapter 1 Their Summer

**This is my newest story and might I add, UBER (Newest word in my vocabulary... along with J'adore) GREAT! Hope you adore it!**

**Disclaimer- Yeah, I own High School Musical... it's UNDER MY PILLOW!**

Murphy Verne stood, surrounded by peach trees, rubbing her fingers to her chapped lips. She wondered how she could have let a douchebag like Kevin Winn steal her first kiss. The trees overhead blocked most of the bright sun, giving off a sense of being in the jungle. But at that very moment, the one place she had always loved to be was the last place she wanted to be standing. "Murphy?" she turned as her mother emerged from the aisle of curved peach trees. It was almost as if the light summer breeze froze in her presence. "What are you doing so far out?"

Murphy found it hard to lie to her mother. She would muster the courage to fib, look right into her mother's piercing green eyes... then spill the truth. "Nothing." she shrugged, swatting the memory of Kevin pushing her against the rough bark of a peach tree and crashing his lips on hers away like the flies that swarmed the almost-ripe peaches. "Just trying to get some ripe peaches. Dad wants to make ice cream."she explained to the front pocket of her overalls.

"Well, your cousin just arrived." Ms. Verne explained, pushing her honey blonde curls away from her sun-tanned face. "I just don't remember where I left her..."

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Only twelve rows of thick peach trees over, Sharpay Evans sat on her avalanche of pink designer suitcases, examining her freshly powdered nose in her compact mirror. She wondered what she had done do deserve such cruel and unusual punishment. This was all Ryan's fault.

_:Flashback:_

_"Admit it!" Sharpay screeched. "Just admit that you love Ryan more than me!" At that point, Sharpay didn't care that every single eye in the St. Silver's Dining Experince was pointed at her. She liked an audience. Maybe then her parents would reconsider sending her to their immediate family's peach farm. How come she had to go, but Ryan didn't? Her entire summer vacation suddenly flashed before her eyes. Lounging by the pool, maxing out credit cards, and even more lounging by the pool. "I can't believe this." Sharpay welled up, knowing that her tears could always sway her parent's decision. Especially her father. "Daddy..."_

_"That's not going to work this time, Sharpay. We thought it would be good for you to... get away for the summer. I promise, you'll adore it." her mother interrupted. Her mother made it sound like they were sending her first class to Palm Beach with a suitcase full of money and her closest friends, but Sharpay knew this was code for, 'The rest of us seriously need a break from your whining, nagging, and snotty attitude. Pack your bags, 'cause you're on the next flight to Verne's Peach Farm'. _

_Sharpay quickly gathered her bag and valet ticket stub. "I hate you!" she snapped, then looked right to Ryan. "All of you." she glared before storming out of the restaurant, every eye still following after her. But she didn't mind. She liked the audience._

_:End Flashback:_

Sharpay squealed at the sight of a bright peach being swarmed by ants at her foot. She curled into a little ball on her biggest suitcase and fought back tears. This place was absolutely repulsive, not made for a person as high-maintenance as Sharpay.

"Hey there..." Sharpay looked up from her pit of misery to see her Aunt Liz leaning against the bark of a tree. Her very shy daughter stood behind her. "I've been looking all over for you. You remember Murphy, don't you?" she asked just as she appeared from behind her mother.

Almost a head shorter than Sharpay, Murphy shyly hooked a piece of her unruly mouse brown hair behind her ear. Sure, she had heard of Murphy, but the last time they had ever seen each other was when they were beginning kindergarten. She had bunches of pictures, but the camera lens was aimed at Sharpay, and Murphy just happened to be in the way. Sharpay held back her grimace as Murphy smiled, revealing two rows of silver braces slapped over her teeth. They were the same age, but Murpphy still had a juvenile appearance. "How could I forget?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"I'll show you to your cabin?" Murphy's statement came out as a shy question.

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Only a jungle of peach trees and a large field away, Gabriella Montez slammed the door to her mother's car shut and hoped the nervous tickle in her stomach would go away. She wondered if returning to Verne's peach farm for her entire summer was a good idea, and suddenly wanted to back out. She had spent her first week of spring break picking peaches and enjoyed it. It cleared her mind and gave her the sense of relaxation. But now, all she wanted to do was erase the memory of ever dating Troy Bolton out of her mind.

As she was being led to Cabin A, the same cabin she had slept in during spring break, the anxiety grew. But for some reason she didn't know why. As soon as she stepped through the door, all of her worries melted away. The familiar smell of damp wood mixed with spiced peaches hung in the air. As she walked down the bright corridor to the last room on the right, doors swung open and familiar faces appeared. She knew why she had come back now. When she reached her door, she saw a frantic blonde, trying to make their tiny room as homey as possible, taping posters to the walls and spraying the thick summer air with freshener at the same time. "That's a violatioin of the rules, you know." Gabriella pointed out, Sure, it wasn't the proper way to greet her roommate, but still...

"Like I care." she scoffed to the wall. "It's not like I plan on being here long so..." she turned and her brown eyes widened in surprise. Gabriella was just as shocked.

"Sharpay?"

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Murphy held an armload of bed sets high enough to block her vision. As she stumbled towards Cabin A, she feared confronting her obnoxious cousin again. She had seen the way Sharpay had given her a once-over, probably disapproving of the braces and the frizzy hair. Little did Sharpay know, her braces were coming off the next week. But Murphy didn't care... or did she? All she knew was that someone like Sharpay wouldn't survive ten seconds out here. She was used to the high life and would throw a fit when she found out that she would actually have to work.

Murphy smiled at the thought of Sharpay teetering unsteadily at the top of a ladder, reaching for peaches. But of course, the blonde would somehow make it look graceful and beautiful, because that was just the kind of person she was. Truthfully, Murphy thought Sharpay was _beautiful_. Almost as beautiful as her mother with her blonde ringlets and intense green eyes. But there was actually a positive energy behind her mother's eyes. All Murphy saw behind Sharpay's were... ice.

As Murphy distributed bed sets to the workers, she came to the conclusion that everyone had _something _nice about them. Maybe if something could melt Sharpay's iciness, then they could get through an entire summer without hating each other. Murphy made it to the last room on the right, and saw her cousin sitting stiffly on the edge of her naked bed. She lightly knocked on the door even though it was opened, and hopend that the girl sitting next to Sharpay would proceed first.

Both girls looked to Murphy and a smile appeared on the dark haired girl's face. "You're Murphy Verne, aren't you?" she asked. She was just as pretty as Sharpay, but in a less obvious way. And at least she looked like she wouldn't bite Murphy's head off... "It's really nice to meet you. I'm Gabriella, and this is..."

"She knows who I am, _okay?_" Sharpay snapped next to Gabriella. "You can leave now." she glared at her cousin, almost right through her. But Murphy was too excited that someone had the courage to rub Sharpay the wrong way, that she didn't mind being screamed at... again.

Murphy gave Sharpay a smug smile, knowing that she would be paying for it eventually. She held her cousin's gaze as long as possible and said, "We start working tomorrow, bright and early 5:45 sharp." Sharpay gaped in surprise and utter shock. The look was priceless to Murphy.

And Sharpay's scream could be heard all the way to the peach jungle.

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"And... she's your cousin?" Gabriella asked as if she finally understood.

"You can stop saying that now." Sharpay growled. Having a genetically-screwed cousin was a touchy subject for her. And she was still angry that she was actually there in the first place instead of taking a lap around the mall with her friends and credit cards. She haphazardly threw her itchy comforter onto her tiny bed and fell over it in defeat. She _had _to think of a plan to get out of there and back to the civilized world...

"She seems pretty nice." Gabriella stated. Sharpay bit back the urge to ask her why Gabriella like to find something good about _everything_. Some things were meant to be horrible. Like _this _place. "We're going to have so much fun this summer, Sharpay. I was here for spring break and..."

"Eww..." Sharpay squealed. "You actually _like _it here? And mark my words, Montez: I'm getting out of here!" she barked.

"Whatever you say, Sharpay." Gabriella shrugged and pulled sheets over her bed.

But little did they know, that for once, Murphy Verne wasn't going to be the ugly duckling.

For once, Gabriella Montez wouldn't find the good in someone, but the _absolutely wonderful_.

And for once, Sharpay Evans would let her icy appearance melt away. And let _one person _see who she truly was.

It was their summer. The summer where they would discover love, their true selves, and their unusual love for New Mexico peaches.

**Like? No like? Send me a review!**


	2. Chapter 2 Their Lesson

**Hi, people! Sorry for disappearing off of the face of the the earth! I was just thinking of some new ideas... I haven't visited the site in ages!**

_The ancient modest house that stood in front of Troy and Chad looked fragile enough to kick over. This was going to be cake. "What a stupid dare." Troy muttered as he shuffled across the tall grass to the back of the house. Just beyond the back windows was the beginning of Verne's Peach Orchard, giving way to rows and rows of strangled peach trees. Even from the back of the house, Troy could hear the soft purr of Chad's pick-up buried in the back of the woods. _

_"Admit it, you're afraid." Chad snickered as Troy easily wedged open a cracked window. Honestly, Troy was a little hesitant to breaking into the Verne family's home, but it was supposed to be fun. All he had to do was slip in, grab the nearest jar of spiced peaches, slip out, and earn bragging rights and pride for a year. Simple. "Hurry up," Chad urged as Troy stuck a foot through the window. "They guys are waiting in my car." Troy made sure his foot was planted firmly on the wood floor before swinging his other foot in._

_He noticed that he was standing in a room with a glowing television. On the other side of the room, a girl was curled up on a worn couch. The glow from the television was the only way that Troy could tell where he was headed and if the one person in the room was asleep or not. Troy felt himself being pushed forward towards the only room on the first floor with tile. It had to be the kitchen. And almost like an umbrella on a rainy day, an unopened jar of spiced peaches sat on a counter staring at Troy, almost calling his name._

_Not even thinking about his next move, Troy hurried into the kitchen, and made sure the light jar of peaches was secure in his hands before swinging back around. Chad was beckoning at the window, telling him to hurry. He had the jar in his hands, he wasn't about to screw this all up. Once back on the wood, Troy slowed down, thinking about each of his steps. Suddenly, a wood plank beneath his foot gave a loud groan. He tried his best to freeze in place, but it was already too late._

_Murphy Verne's forest green eyes flew open at the familiar creak of a floor board. An unfamiliar dark figure stood just beyond the kitchen door, and Murphy did the only thing that felt right. She screamed._

_Soon enough, Troy was diving out the back window and was crawling across the grass, scrambling to his feet. Chad had pulled far ahead and was almost at the first row of peach trees where his truck was hiding at the edge of the orchard. He heard a shout from behind him and the sound of loud barking. Lights from the cabins that were lined next to the house began to flicker on. Shit. Troy ditched the jar of spiced peaches just as he entered the stretch of peach trees and heard the barking and shouting coming alarmingly closer._

_Chad was out of sight, but Troy hoped that he was still waiting at the end. He would jump on the roof of the car if he had to. They would tear out of the orchard in loud laughter, never to come back again..._

_Troy suddenly crashed to the ground, tripping over nothing. He took in a mouthful of surprisingly sweet dirt before feeling a boot to his ribs. He rolled onto his back, knowing that it was all over. "Move, boy." he heard an intimidating voice above him. The only thing visible in the night air was the black and white coat of the dalmatian that was tugging at the heel of his sneaker. "I dare you."_

Troy Bolton squirmed uncomfortably under Brian Verne's hard glare. This wasn't how he had wanted to spend his summer vacation, but it was better to be standing behind a ladder than standing in front of a judge. What he still didn't understand was why _he _was the one paying the price for all of his friends. They were all probably checking out the female lifeguards at the pool or picking up a game of basketball... Troy would have given anything to be there, instead of here, in the hot sun, holding a ladder steady. "S_ostener_." the guy just around Troy's age that was plucking underdeveloped peaches from their branches above barked at him. It was a shame Troy had gotten through one week of Spanish before switching into a new class.

Mr. Verne finally cut Troy a break and left to check on some other workers. "_Sostener!_" the boy above him shouted. He was wobbling unsteadily at the top of the ladder. Troy gripped both sides of the ladder as the man caught his balance, just wishing that he hadn't taken that one dare.

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Gabriella Montez took in her first morning, wondering how some things could be naturally beautiful. It striked her as odd that something as small and as pitiful as a peach pit could turn into the orchard that stretched out in front of her. The morning was still and peaceful and a few workers milled around, until a shout came from the opening of the peach jungle. A loud crash followed, then an angry stream of Spanish came after that. All that Gabriella could make out was the repeated word, "_asno_", and she knew that it couldn't be good. She followed the Spanish clamor and the English apologies to find a familiar silhouette standing over someone sprawled on the dirt.

"Is he alright?" Gabriella asked, afraid to come any closer. The silhouette turned around, and Gabriella officially thought that she had lost her mind. Looking better than ever in the morning sun was Troy Bolton, and Gabriella was way less than pleased to run into him. Especially after what he had done to her. Gabriella brushed past him and kneeled next to the young man struggling to sit up. "You're okay?" she gave her warmest smile.

She helped him to his feet before he shot death rays at Troy and staggered out of the trees. "It was an accident, I swear." Troy smiled at Gabriella like everything was okay between them. Well, his smile wasn't going to fix everything this time. He bent over to pick up the ladder that was flat in the dirt and propped it against a tree. "So how's your summer been?" he asked casually. Why should she be the nice girl this time?

"What are you doing here, Troy?" she narrowed her eyes at him and tried her best to frown. But it was something she just wasn't good at, and Troy could easily tell.

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Sharpay Evans tried her best to make it seem like she was working, but she could honestly say that she wasn't. She was sitting against the rough bark of a peach tree, music blaring in her ears. The only thing that was holding her attention in the hot summer sun were the shirtless guys that were surrounding her. But one caught her eye, the one that was following Gabriella across the open field that separated the cabins from the peach trees. The unmistakeable good badboy bangs **(A/N: I'll admit, I stole that line right out of an internet article) **and tall build belonged to Troy Bolton. Sharpay officially hated this summer. She was coming in contact with all of the people that she hated.

She jumped over the song that was playing on her tiniest Ipod and skipped right to a Christmas song. Anything to make her feel cold during this hot summer. And she went right back to doing nothing, waiting for life on the orchard to bloom.

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Murphy Verne let the front door to Cabin A swing open. After being in her cousin's room, where the heavy scent of watermelon clung to everything, Murphy desperately needed to taking in some fresh air. Someone yelped on the other side of the screen door just as Gabriella scrambled past Murphy and down the hallway. She quickly apologized and broke into a smile when she saw who was on the other side of the door. "Hey... you're the guy who broke in." she stated. She was a little embarrassed about screaming like a little girl and getting the guy in trouble, especially after looking into both of his blue eyes.

"Gabriella, wait!" he shouted past Murphy. He was just about to step into the cabin when Murphy stepped in front of him.

"No guys allowed in the cabins." she shrugged. She didn't want to seem like a prude, but that boy was already facing charges. He didn't need to break any more rules.

"Move, Troy." Sharpay suddenly elbowed past the boy in the doorway, not even bothering to act nice. She had the smallest ear phones Murphy had ever seen tucked into her ears and still looked utterly beautiful even with her cheeks crimson from the heat. Murphy wanted to tell her that no one was allowed breaks until noon, but dealing with Sharpay was different. She would either get the finger or a really harsh insult thrown at her.

"Nice to see you too, Sharpay." Troy muttered after her. Obviously, this Troy guy knew Sharpay and her evil ways, and she felt his pain. She introduced herself.

"I'm Murphy." she smiled, but Troy was too occupied with the fact that he was stuck on a farm with two people that hated his guts. Why was Murphy always the invisible person? It was like the braces covering her teeth and the tangled brown hair on her head was the reason everyone could look right past her, right through her... "Excuse me?"

That summer, Troy Bolton would learn the real definition of respect.

Gabriella Montez would determine love from infatuation.

Sharpay Evans would learn that she actually had a warm side.

And Murphy Verne would realize that you can be pretty, but still not be a beautiful person.

It was their summer. The summer where they would learn lessons in life and love, and how to make the perfect jar of spiced peaches.

**As you can see, the closings are always going to slip a little about what's going to happen during this... PRODUCTIVE summer. And I think the last word will always be peaches.**

**Sostener- "steady"**

**Asno- "jackass"**

**Leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3 Their Encounter

**This is my FIRST update in FOUR months! (sniffle) it's okay to cry... right?**

Ryan Evans sighed as he raked his fingers through his blonde hair, wondering why he had to be such a fuck-up. Those were his sister's choice of words, and it hurt to know that he fit such a profile. But he was kicking up the tired gravel just outside of Verne's Peach Orchard and sweating off layers of sun block just to see his sister. Just to let her know that she was right. Again. He rolled his eyes, knowing that Sharpay had always been severely stand-offish, but this was ridiculous. Why did he always have to prove himself worthy? He didn't understand how their relationship as brother and sister was never good enough.

"Ryan?" As he stepped up to the porch of Cabin A, a girl stood, her dark green eyes full of uncertainty as she looked over him. A look of confusion spread onto Ryan's face, taking in her appearance. He most definitely wasn't used to girls with untamed hair and unsightly teeth, lunging themselves at him in hugs... "Oh, mygosh, it _is _you!" As Ryan squirmed out of her grasp, a glimpse of a deep dimple tucked into her cheek caught his eye. He only knew one girl with dimples so deep...

"Murphy..." Enthusiasm never reached his voice. She nodded her head vigorously as a grin tugged at her lips. All Ryan could muster was a grimace at the sight of Murphy's unsanitary braces glimmering off of the afternoon sun. He was suddenly overwhelmed with mentally scarring childhood memories of her. She was always the plain Jane of the family, while Ryan and Sharpay pushed and shoved for the limelight... Ryan was sick and tired of reunions. He cut right to the chase. "Is Sharpay around?"

* * *

Sharpay Evans pulled her pink sheets over her head as a light tapping came at her door. The annoying afternoon light was already flooding through the window, keeping her from sleeping in and avoiding work, and she didn't need any more interruptions. She sighed as she buried her head under a pillow, hoping to get rid of any sounds that would penetrate her sleep, but the knocking came a little louder. "Fuck off..." she grumbled sourly into her pillow before dramatically throwing her sheets off her body. 

Another knock came at the door.

The only person she would have been happy to see on the other side of the door was her chauffer, ready to take her home, or anywhere else. As long as they didn't have peaches. "What?" Sharpay immediately snapped before she registered who was knocking. She was going to get the point across that she _didn't want to be bothered, _no matter how many people she had to tear through and scream at. But all fell still when she saw her own brother, styling the same color that she was planning on wearing that day.

Damn twin telepathy.

Although she didn't want to admit it, Sharpay knew that she could hate Ryan with the hottest, most burning, passionate hate possible, but they would somehow still be connected. And although she was still pretty pissed that Ryan was three days late of giving her the apology she truly deserved, she would have to forgive him. Two sets of brown eyes never left each other as Ryan entered the room, crossing his arms over his chest in defense as well as defeat.

Simultaneously, they sighed.

"Hey, Ryan." Sharpay caved.

* * *

Gabriella Montez's lips curled over as she stopped herself from humming a song. One by one, almost robotically, she would tighten her finger grip around a peach, tug at it, the let it drop to the ground. But every once in a while, her thoughts would go thin as those forbidden lyrics would make her sing softly. _There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach... _Then she would unconsciously run her fingertips lightly over the peach fuzz and remember the soft hair on the nape of his neck. _Then_ she would remember that they didn't love each other any more... 

_Their fingers lightly entwined as she shyly walked next to Troy. The effect he had on her, the one that would make her lose all self-confidence and become quiet and timid was mind-blowing. She loved every minute of it. But by this time, the silence was usually filled with conversation and laughs. And it wasn't. Troy's eyes were on his feet as he steadily walked, letting the cracks in the cement creep by. "Troy?" Gabriella's eyes found his, and he was already sorry. "Is something wrong?" The concerned look growing in her eyes planted a permanent feeling of guilt in the pit of Troy's stomach._

_"Yeah..." he sighed. They stopped walking on the sidewalk and he gently unlaced his fingers from hers. She looked down at their hands in horror, almost as if he had torn off his own finger. "Gabriella..." he sucked in a breath, not knowing what to say next. He had never done this before, and wished that he had planned ahead of time. "I... we... this can't..." He attempted to piece words together, but his sentences just stumbled over each other. Gabriella thought that they would never get this figured out._

_Until he fished something out of his pocket._

_In his palm, an oversized gilded ring dully relflected off of the afternoon. A tiny worthless emerald sat in the middle. But it was the ring that Gabriella had given Troy when they first began dating. She told him to keep it as long as they were together, because it was her favorite piece of jewelry._

_But it was suddenly hers again. She quickly plucked the ring out of his palm before glancing up at him once more. He swam around for words again, but gave up when she swung away from him._

_Gabriella would never let Troy see her tears._

...then she would violently chuck a peach at the grass below and start the process all over again. This couldn't be summer for Gabriella. _Something _had to change...

"Ow!" she heard a yelp from below and almost lost her balance on top of the ladder. She cautiously peered below her to see an angry blonde rubbing at the top of his head. "Watch where you're throwing those damn..." he slowly tilted his head back, and Gabriella was immediately exposed to Ryan Evan's angry scowl. But his expression melted from fury to utter confusion. It was Gabriella Montez. "...peaches..."

* * *

Murphy Verne's brows knit together in confusion as she watched Troy staring across the field. He was _supposed _to be helping her repaint the worn shutters of Cabin A, but the only thing that was holding his attention was the tiny blonde figure sitting against a peach tree listening to her iPod in her pajamas. Murphy impatiently twirled her paintbrush between her palms. "Do you like her or something?"She couldn't help but sound a little irritated. All she wanted to do was paint the stupid shutters so she could get out of the hot sun, but he was making it difficult by drooling over Sharpay. Just like every other guy on the orchard. "She's vicious." 

Troy shook his head, avoiding eye contact with her. It amazed Troy how Murphy could say horrible things about Sharpay, and they were family. But on the other hand, Sharpay said horrible things about _everybody_. "I just... I don't know... I want to make the effort to be her friend." he shrugged. At the softening of Murphy's hard stare, Troy wished he could take back what he had said. "But don't tell her that!"

Murphy understood. She would be alarmed as well if she spilled her guts to a complete stranger on accident. "I won't." he assured her.

"Promise?" Troy didn't care how desperate he sounded, he didn't want word leaking out.

"Promise."

That summer, Troy Bolton would have his first encounter: with love.

Gabriella Montez would finally meet the new solution: her _absolutely wonderful_.

Sharpay Evans will stumble upon something she's never experienced before: warmth.

And Murphy Verne will unexpectedly have to confront her worst fear: beauty.

It was their summer. The summer where they would face affection, determination, and the utterly confusing maze of peaches.

**Review! I'll try to update soon! You know, BEFORE you guys lose interest.**


	4. Chapter 4 Their Secret

**Baha.**

**Vanessa Anne Hudgens.**

**She's NAKIE!**

**Dude. It's called a Brazilian wax. She needs one.**

**Serious Ryella.**

Gabriella Montez gasped and scrambled down the ladder, the boy tending to the swelling of his head becoming the full image of Ryan Evans. She cursed herself for letting her own anger injure someone else, spilling, dumping apologies over him. "I wasn't thinking... I was just... sorry, Ryan." But he was more than welcome to accepting her apologies. 

"Hey, it's okay." He smiled warmly, creating the intricate design of a soft cirlce over the back of his head. "What are you doing out here?" 

Gabriella rattled off into the story of how she had come for spring break and had actually enjoyed it, deciding to work during the summer. And as she nervously shifted from one foot to the other, as she unconsciously twirled a lock of her brown hair around her finger, she couldn't help but notice the way Ryan's green eyes were trained on her in fascination. Something played behind his eyes. Something _absolutely wonderful_. 

Something wonderful enough to let herself internally grow warm from the pit of her stomach, such fire travelling to every fingertip. She felt the sensation of intoxication without the actual poison. Somehow, she had trained her mouth to close, letting Ryan respond to what she had said, but by then, the rest of the world had melted and molded into some distorted world... "...and I heard that you're rooming with Sharpay?" 

Gabriella was forced back to reality, drawn out of his eyes only to answer his question. "Yeah. Have you seen her today?" she never paid attention to her stance, the way she let her arm brush against his, the way they invaded each other's personal space. 

"She said that she has to 'work', but we're meeting up later at the..." his words suddenly fell and he sharply looked over his shoulder, then over Gabriella's, scanning the area meticulously for a moment. But their only witnesses seemed to be the rows and rows of trees, twisted and bent towards the sun. He leaned towards her ear, playful words coming from his mouth. "Can you keep a secret?" 

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After two hours of basking in the heat, Sharpay Evans had only thought of two benefits of being on the orchard. 

A.) The amazing angles of the sun. 

B.) The amazing tan that was beginning to kiss her skin. 

And after two hours, Sharpay Evans had thought of numerous cons to being trapped, but two stood out in particular. 

A.) The snatches of conversation she could hear across the field coming from Troy and Murphy. 

B.) The snatches of coversation she could hear across the field coming from Troy and Murphy. 

It ate away at her that she could constantly hear her name coming out of the mouths of the two people she hated. Many _Sharpay does this_'es and a variety of _Sharpay needs to_'s were paper clipped into her mind, disturbing her peace and destroying her last nerve. What did Troy Bolton and Murphy Verne really have to say that they couldn't confess to her face? 

Only one way to find out. 

As she strode across the wide stretch of field, grass tickling at her ankles, she quickly whipped up the exact words she was going to say and evaluated the attitude she planned on giving them. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder once for confidence as both figures carefully painting the shutters of Cabin A came closer. The unmistakeable Troy Bolton hunched over and emptying paintcan was what set Sharpay on edge for some reason. Was there room for him to talk? 

No way. 

After all, who was the one there on charges? 

"Is there something you two would like to say to me?" Sharpay impatiently tapped her foot, that familiar ferocity becoming visible, courtesy of the afternoon sun illuminating her eyes. She knew her reason for being cross with them was ridiculous, but _she _was allowed to. 

She was Sharpay Evans. 

Two innocent, confused faces looked up from the shade of Cabin A. She parted her pink lips to let the steady flow of insults rip through, but the sunny disposition of Gabriella Montez barrelling past Sharpay was what cut her off. "Good afternoon, guys!" her all-too-pleasing smile held a little extra _pleasing _for some reason. Her enthusiastic stroll held a little more _enthusiasm_, and Sharpay wanted nothing more than to tear her off of her pedestal. 

She wanted to see hurt and disappointment in Gabriella's eyes. She had the urge to hurt her feelings make her cry, and there was no way of fighting off the urge, only fulfilling it. Sharpay left her first victims in search of her second, and finally, Troy and Murphy were allowed to let out their breath. 

Troy Bolton pondered the possibility that he was sprung. 

She was fierce. Firey. That poise, that glance, that glare that screamed, _I _dare_ you. I fucking double-dog_ dare_ you. _It was intruiging. Addictive. 

Even layers of green swallowed up the forgotten shutters, the sun gnawing at the nape of his neck. Sharpay was off-limits. _Everyone _knew that. The world was at her feet. Everyone knew that too. So why was she invading his thoughts? How juvenile. 

"Uhh... Troy? Are you alright?" concern and confusion threaded Murphy's voice. "What on earth are you doing?" she asked, eyeing the way Troy unconsciously mowed his paint roller over his jeans. Thick lines of green paint rolled up his pant legs. He groaned realizing what he had done. Quickly excusing himself, Troy stormed down the steps of Cabin A in hopes of straightening out his ever-confusing thoughts. 

But they had to stay a secret for now. 

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Murphy Verne let the moonlight cast over her wiggling toes. Just outside of her bedroom window, beyond the valley of peach trees, a few lights glistened in the windows of the Cabins. She thought of Sharpay twisting and turning in her uncomfortable bed, and she thought of Troy thinking of elaborate ways of busting out of this prison. She could see it in his eyes. Murphy Verne saw the way Troy Bolton looked at Sharpay and knew that he was serious when he had told her of wanting to befriend Sharpay. 

It was just a little odd. Sharpay was scary, there was no doubt about that. And Troy seemed to be a nice guy. Why on earth... 

The silent sound of snapping twigs yanked Murphy's attention back to the window. She squinted, seeing the slender silhouette of a girl tiptoeing down the open aisle of peach trees before her porch. And if Murphy was seeing correctly, that girl was _Sharpay_. 

She stayed low to the ground, blonde wavy hair swinging by her shoulderblades. Where was she off to so late at night? Murphy was fully aware of the rules, and one of them was no sneaking out. But she stayed where she was, in the comfort of her bedroom window and watched with envy. How could a girl so seemingly beautiful and innocent be so evil and manipulative? Sharpay disappeared past the trees into the night. Murphy sighed at her cousin. 

One of the many secrets of Sharpay Evans. 

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Ryan Evans sprang out of the grass at the sound of trampling feet. He looked to the clearing far to his right to see Gabriella Montez walk her sunny walk, despite the dead of the night and the moon that seemed to glow. She had a small smile on her face, and as she approached, her brown eyes went from tranquil to astonsihed to amazed as she gazed at Ryan's secret. 

"Isn't it great?" Ryan whispered, but the still surface of the lake seemed to catch his small whisper and bury it among the others it had collected over the summers. She took it all in, the towering trees, the star-studded sky. The lake. The lake with tiny ripples and life beneath the surface. "My sister and I used to come here all the time when we were younger. Nobody even knows it exists. It's like our secret spot." a smile was evident on his face. 

The thought of Sharpay Evans made Gabriella's stomach flip-flop. Anyone with eyes knew that Sharpay hated Gabriella. It sort of hurt. But she must of had a warm side, Ryan's warm way of speaking about her twin made it sort of obvious. 

"...used to make these killer sandcastles. She may seem like an Ice Bitch now, but it's only because she's upset with me..." 

Footsteps sounded once more. 

Speak of the devil. 

Sharpay stood at the clearing, hands on her hips, a scowl gracing her gorgeous face in the night. No hellos or heys, just a cold, "What. Is _she _doing here?" 

"It thought it would be cool of she came and saw..." 

"...Do the words 'secret' and 'spot' mean anything to you, Ryan dearest?" 

Gabriella cringed at Sharpay's harsh words. Maybe she should just leave, before she upset the queen anymore. She looked to Sharpay once more to see her angry face melt into one of horror. Sharpay suddenly began to bounce around on her toes, wildly flapping her arms. Her infamous scream cracked the night in half. 

That summer, Troy Bolton's ever-confusing thoughts would no longer be a secret. 

Gabriella Montez's confidential heart would be spilled to her absolutely wonderful. 

Sharpay Evans secret side will finally experience the warmth of the New Mexico sun. 

Murphy Verne will stop being a doormat at last. 

It was their summer. The summer where their secrets of love, confidence, and how to be yourself would be heard in the jungle of peaches. 

**It's been seven months. I'm a bad person.**

**Review!**


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